OnePlus Nord 5 Review: Nord Just Another Midrange Phone

The OnePlus Nord 5, the corporate’s newest mid-range smartphone, has arrived because the successor to the OnePlus Nord 4, which was launched a yr in the past. This handset brings some notable enhancements over its predecessor, together with a extra succesful Snapdragon 8 sequence chipset and barely higher cameras. However, the mid-range phase is extraordinarily aggressive, particularly across the Rs. 30,000 mark, with noteworthy rivals just like the Poco F7, Motorola Edge 60 Pro, Samsung Galaxy A36 5G, iQOO Neo 10R, and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.

Priced at Rs. 31,999 for the bottom mannequin with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the OnePlus Nord 5 can also be obtainable with 12GB of RAM in 256GB and 512GB storage variants, which value Rs. 34,999 and Rs. 37,999, respectively. In this evaluate, let us take a look at whether or not the handset is value its asking value or whether or not it falls wanting my expectations.

OnePlus Nord 5 Design: Goodbye Alert Slider, Hello Plus Key

• Dimensions – 163.4 x 77 x 8.1 mm
• Weight – 211g
• Colours – Dry Ice, Marble Sands (Featured on this evaluate), Phantom Grey

The OnePlus 13s that arrived final month is not the one handset from the corporate to characteristic the brand new Plus Key. This new button, situated on the left fringe of the cellphone, replaces OnePlus’ alert slider, and it has its personal benefits and downsides. You can remap it to carry out varied features, together with launching the Plus Mind characteristic, which we coated in our OnePlus 13s evaluate. However, it is also straightforward to invoke the Plus Key, if it is dealing with downwards whilst you’re taking part in video games.

The new Plus Key on the OnePlus Nord 5

While its predecessor featured an aluminium chassis (that we actually preferred), the OnePlus Nord 5 has a glass rear panel with plastic edges, and the Marble Sands end that the corporate despatched us for this evaluate appears to be like reasonably good. It’s a bit slippery to carry, so I used the TPU cowl that ships with the cellphone to maintain it protected. The cellphone has a 6.83-inch display, and it often requires each palms to make use of (I’ve significantly massive palms).

The OnePlus Nord 5 encompasses a 6,800mAh battery, however you would not be capable to inform by wanting on the cellphone, which does not really feel too heavy. Both the facility and quantity rocker have been straightforward to achieve with my thumb, however the Plus Key is out of attain when utilizing the cellphone with one hand. The prime of the cellphone has an infrared transmitter that may management varied home equipment, whereas the underside edge homes a speaker, the SIM tray, and a USB Type-C port.

OnePlus Nord 5 Software: Smooth, Includes Some AI Features

• Software – OxygenOS 15
• Version – Android 15
• Latest safety patch – June 1, 2025

The OnePlus Nord 5 runs on OxygenOS 15, which is predicated on Android 15. This is identical software program that runs on the corporate’s flagship OnePlus 13, and it additionally gives help for some AI options that have been unveiled alongside the OnePlus 13s. This cellphone is slated to obtain 4 years of OS upgrades and 6 years of safety updates, which implies it’s anticipated to obtain an improve to Android 19.

OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus Nord 5

I acquired the 12GB+256GB configuration of the OnePlus Nord 5, and it’s extremely optimised on the subject of day-to-day utilization. Animations are snappy, and the handset retains apps and video games in reminiscence, even after you turn to 4 or 5 different apps, which is sweet to see. The handset prompted me to put in some third-party apps throughout the setup course of, together with Amazon and Candy Crush: Saga, nevertheless it allowed me to deselect these apps.

The new Plus Key on the OnePlus Nord 5 can be utilized to launch the corporate’s new OnePlus AI suite of options. This contains the brand new Plus Mind performance, which saves contextual data from screenshots at any time when the Plus Key is pressed. While it does not at all times detect actionable content material, some options are fairly helpful, corresponding to including calendar occasions when a date is detected.

AI options from the OnePlus 13s are additionally obtainable on the Nord 5

Other OnePlus AI options, corresponding to AI VoiceScribe, AI Call Assistant, and AI Translation, are additionally supported on the OnePlus Nord 5. I’ve coated these apps and the way they work once I reviewed the OnePlus 13s, and these are the identical options obtainable on that handset. You can use it to retailer data from apps, translate net pages utilizing a pop-up menu, and get summaries of your calls utilizing the brand new VoiceScribe characteristic.

OnePlus states that it’ll utilise the corporate’s Private Compute Cloud to safeguard consumer data supplied to entry AI options inside a trusted and remoted framework. You additionally get help for Circle to Search with AI Overviews on Google and entry to Google Gemini on the OnePlus Nord 5.

OnePlus Nord 5 Performance: Last-Gen, But Optimised

• Processor – Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• Memory – Up to 12GB LPDDR5x
• Storage – Up to 512GB UFS 3.1

This is the primary Nord-series smartphone from the corporate to be geared up with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, and it’s a notable improve over the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 that powered final yr’s Nord 4 mannequin. It’s an octa-core chip with as much as 3GHz clock pace, and it’s constructed utilizing TSMC’s 4nm course of expertise.

Left to proper: AnTuTu v10, PCMark Work 3.0, Geekbench 6 (faucet to broaden)

OnePlus says that the corporate used a chip launched in 2024 on the Nord 5 after it labored with the corporate to help 144Hz OLED screens and help for quicker framerates in particular video games. While this is likely to be the case, I believe the actual cause why this cellphone does not ship with the newer Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC (just like the Poco F7) is that it might provide quicker efficiency than the dearer OnePlus 13R, which runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 on the OnePlus Nord 5 is not any slouch, although. It can run any CPU and graphics intensive app or sport, together with modifying and exporting 4K movies, or taking part in video games like Wuthering Waves and Call of Duty: Mobile. OxgenOS feels optimised, and I did not expertise any stuttering or lag throughout the time I spent testing the cellphone.

Left to proper: PCMark Work 3.0 Battery, GFXBench 5.1, 3DMark (faucet to broaden)

Here’s a fast comparability of the OnePlus Nord 5 with different equally priced handsets, to see the way it performs in artificial benchmark checks:

There’s a 6.83-inch Full-HD+ (1,272×2,800 pixels) AMOLED display with as much as 144Hz refresh charge on the OnePlus Nord 5, which is a step up from final yr’s mannequin. OnePlus says the show helps as much as 1,800nits peak brightness, and visibility is sweet whereas open air. It additionally will get fairly dim at night time, with out inflicting eye pressure.

The 6.83-inch show on the OnePlus Nord 5 is clean and reponsive 

I change all of the telephones I exploit to a “standard” show color mode, and the panel on the OnePlus Nord 5 delivers much less vibrant (however extra correct) colors when utilizing this mode, so that you may wish to choose the Cinematic possibility as an alternative. The handset’s show additionally options Corning Gorilla Glass 7i safety, however I like to recommend utilizing it with the included cowl to forestall harm to the rear panel.

OnePlus Nord 5 Cameras: A Familiar Setup

• Main digital camera – 50-megapixel (f/1.8), OIS, as much as 4K/ 60fps video
• Ultrawide digital camera – 8-megapixel (f/2.2), EIS, as much as 1080p/ 30fps video
• Selfie digital camera – 50-megapixel (f/2.0), EIS, as much as 4K/ 60fps video

I spent practically a month testing the cameras on the OnePlus Nord 5, and the 50-megapixel major digital camera is probably the most succesful one on the handset. It means that you can click on photographs at 1x and 2x (the latter is an in-sensor crop) zoom ranges, and helps optical picture stabilisation (OIS).

Top to backside: Rear digital camera samples at 1x (major), 2x (in-sensor crop) zoom (Tap to broaden)

During the day, the OnePlus Nord 5 captures vivid and detailed photographs, and the colors are captured precisely. There’s no noticeable delay when the seize button is pressed, and pictures are saved immediately. This is identical Sony LYT-700 major sensor on the OnePlus 13s, and it gives the identical degree of sharpness at 2x zoom for topics which might be barely additional away.

In low-light situations, it captures respectable photographs so long as your topic stays nonetheless. There’s a number of element, even whenever you zoom in. The built-in night time mode captures photographs in simply over a second, and it may be turned off for quicker photographs.

(*5*)

Top to backside: Ultrawide digital camera samples, a selfie and a portrait shot (Tap to broaden)

The ultrawide digital camera on the OnePlus Nord 5 additionally gives respectable efficiency throughout the day, with minimal warping on the edges. Low mild efficiency is not nearly as good as the first digital camera, however these photographs are nonetheless fairly usable so long as your topic is not transferring.

For video recording, chances are you’ll wish to persist with the first digital camera on the OnePlus Nord 5, which lets you file at 4K/60fps. However, if you wish to allow Ultra Steady mode, it drops to 1080p/30fps, which can also be the utmost decision supported by the ultrawide digital camera.

There’s a 50-megapixel selfie digital camera on the Nord 5, with a Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor. It’s wonderful for capturing photographs and movies, and the face smoothening options are turned off by default. It additionally means that you can seize movies at 4K/60fps or 1080p/30fps, if you happen to desire to make use of the Ultra Steady mode.

OnePlus Nord 5 Battery: Welcome Upgrades

• Battery Capacity – 6,800mAh
• Wired Charging – 80W SuperVOOC (USB Type-C)

OnePlus has geared up the Nord 5 with a significantly massive single-cell 6,800mAh battery, which is an improve over the 5,500mAh cell on its predecessor. Alongside the environment friendly Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, this battery can ship as much as a day and a half of utilization. During the time that I spent utilizing the smartphone, this included three hours of gaming, a number of scrolling by means of social media, watching movies on YouTube, and texting on WhatsApp.

OnePlus Nord 5 delivers over a day and a half of battery life on a single cost

The handset lasted for 27 hours and quarter-hour throughout our HD video battery loop check, and for 14 hours and 26 minutes throughout the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life benchmark. This is an artificial check, and real-world battery utilization will differ based mostly in your utilization. The OnePlus Nord 5 takes about 58 minutes to 63 minutes for a full cost, when related to the included 80W SuperVOOC charging adapter.

OnePlus Nord 5: Verdict

With significant upgrades over its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 5 is likely one of the higher choices to select from, if you happen to’re seeking to spend round Rs. 30,000 in your subsequent smartphone. It gives dependable CPU and digital camera efficiency, and long-lasting battery life, together with help for quick charging. I miss the all-metal design of the OnePlus Nord 4, however the latest mannequin gives sufficient by way of upgrades across the similar value.

The OnePlus Nord 5offers respectable worth for a smartphone across the Rs. 30,000 mark

The Poco F7 is the most important rival to the OnePlus Nord 5, and it’s geared up with a extra highly effective Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip and a bigger 7,550mAh battery. However, I might advocate ready for our evaluate of the handset to see whether or not its digital camera efficiency is akin to the Nord 5.

Other handsets value contemplating on this value phase embrace the Motorola Edge 60 Pro, the iQOO Neo 10, the Vivo V50 (Review), and the Samsung Galaxy A36. You may think about the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, which often drops underneath the Rs. 35,000 mark.

Disclosure: OnePlus sponsored the correspondent’s flights and resort for an occasion in Vietnam.